What do organic wine, sulfite-free wine and vegetarian wine have in common?

Essentially nothing. Some common myths about organic wines are that they do not contain sulfites, are vegetarian (free of animal byproducts) and are made from 100 percent organic ingredients.

In fact, when a wine is labeled either "certified organic" or "made with organically grown grapes," it means only that the grapes used in making the wine were grown free of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. It does not make any claim regarding sulfites. All wines, even organic wines, contain naturally occurring sulfites.

There are two main categories of organic wines. The most rigid standard is for wine designated "certified organic," which means it must contain 100 percent organic ingredients and no more than 10 parts per million of "naturally" occurring sulfites. Wine categorized as simply "organic" must contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients. It can also contain up to 100 ppm of added sulfites. If these conditions are met, then the label can state, "made with organically grown grapes."

Even without the stricter organic rules, the legal limit for sulfites in typical wines is 350 ppm. This is well below what is considered harmful to those sensitive to sulfites. A single dried apricot can contain 2,000 ppm of sulfite, fruit juice from concentrate can contain up to 6,000 ppm. The typical range for wine is 20 to 150 ppm (well below the legal limit and the USDA's limit for organic wines). This leads me to conclude that the addition of sulfites in wine has somehow gotten a crazy bad rap. Countless scientific studies have shown that the headaches some of us get from wine are NOT caused by sulfites.

Why do winemakers add sulfites? Sulfites are added in the vineyard to protect the grapes from bacteria and yeasts that can be harmful during the growing season. Sulfites also preserve the color in fruits. They help keep the grape juice fresh and prevent it from turning brown too fast.

The majority of winemakers argue that you cannot produce great wines without adding a little sulfite, while a few beg to differ. I personally have not tasted a great sulfite-free wine, but I have had a decent sulfite-free wine. I also agree that sulfites do help preserve freshness, color and longevity and will allow wine to grow better with age.

Top wine producers around the world have always been concerned with quality. In Europe, winemakers believe that the best wines are created from organically grown grapes. Old World countries produced organic wines long before America even cultivated grapes. And these days, it's becoming more standard for American grape growers to farm organically, because they too believe that it is a sustainable method of farming that produces quality fruit for years to come.

Winemakers are careful about the amount of sulfites they add because too much will produce undesirable aromas. Many producers also "fine" their wines to be clear instead of cloudy. Fining usually involves the use of animal byproducts, such as egg whites and milk. For a wine to be vegetarian, it must be fined with natural alternatives, such as bentonite clay, or must be unfiltered and unfined.

If this is important to you, the best way to ensure that your organic wine is vegetarian and/or has no added sulfites is to contact the winery directly (most have Web sites) or consult a wine-buying professional at your local wine shop.

Some fine wine producers — such as Nickel & Nickel, Shafer, Grgich, Frogs Leap, and Ancien — do not fine their wines and do farm organically but are nonetheless not certified organic. If you are looking for certified-organic, sulfite-free wines, check out Our Daily Red, Orleans Hill's merlot and chardonnay, Radical Red cabernet and Surfin syrah. For wines made with organic grapes, look for Bonterra Merlot and Casa Barranca Pinot Noir, or Penfolds Bin 177. Vegans should look for any Frey wines, especially the 2003 petite syrah, which are also certified organic.

Kim Karalovich is a wine buyer and consultant at The Wine Stop in Honolulu; www.thewinestophawaii.com.